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Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1728, 17 February 1874, Page 2

: We call the attention of the Borough Council to the fact that several of the stand-pipes in the front of the quay are rende; ed inaccessible by the logs originally intended for the abandoned railway viaduct, tt must surely strike even the dullest municipal mind that in the event of a fire breaking out suddenly in the night, a good deal of valuable time would be lost in attaching the engines to the stand-pipes, incommoded as they are. Perhaps as Councillors Coates and Hamilton have property in the immediate neighborhood of the obstructions referred to, they will take the matter up. It is full time they did so, as the Fire Brigade went out last night for their usual practice, and attempted to test the stand-pipes in the upper part bf the town. Two were found to be unapproachable owing to the obstructions referred to, and the third was only got at after lifting the engine over some logs, which occupied some considerable time. The members of the Brigade are as willing as ever they were to do their duty, but they have good cause to be dissatisfied with the obstructions placed in their way and the apathy displayed by the owners of properties adjoining these stand-pipes. While on this subject we may call attention to the condition of the stand-pipe in Boundary street, which has been buried by recent road formations. On Friday week orders were given to the Town Surveyor to have the pipe cleared so as to be ready for immediate use, but as yet nothing has been done, and in case of a fire breaking out some buildings will he destroyed before the hose can be connected.

? The Jockey Club Committee held a meeting last night, at which several matters of importance relative to the forthcoming races were entertained and resolved upon. Amongst these were the enclosing of the weighing, secretary's, and stewards' rooms, flooring all three and making them more comfortable and in coaformitv with the position of the club than *hey have hitherto been ; an enclosure for the protection of horees at the finish of a race, and of riders weiebing-in was also determined upon. In place of the present unsightly fence opposite the stand, the corn* vnttee also resolved that a new picket fence on both sides should be erected, while other minor improvements were also directed to be made For some time past the Ground Committee have devoted a thorough attention to bettering the course and training ground, and they have well succeeded »in their labor. They have completely overcome the great drawback hitherto experienced by owners who required to give their borseß fast work previous to the running. Up to I this year they have not been able to do so except unde»" very disadvantageous circumstances, but now the minor training ground, if not everything that could be desired, is better than nine out of ten such grounds in this Colony. It was completely stumped and levelled some months ago, and then sown with grass, and having ever since been allowed to lie fallow, is at this moment in really good condition, for the use it is intended; There is not a stone, a stump, or a hole upon it ; it is, in fact, as good a running ground as the main course. The exertions of the ' committee sjnee last year will be clearly seen by a vijit to the ground, and the course of 1873 is scarcely, recognisable in the course of 1874. The committee have further accepted Mr Brimble's contract for making a road from the Arnold road down the hill, so that the steep incline alongside the Racecourse Hotel will be obviated. The whole improvements betoken j an amount of energy on the part of the club that warrants approval, and we are sure owners of horses competing and visitors will alike award them such. Th. prospects of 8 successful meeting are ot the very best nature, and that it will be such we feel assured, unless no untoward circumstances aril*

The anniversary of the local Court of the Ancient order of Foresters is to be cele braced by a soiree and ball in the Volunteer Hall to-morrow evening. The names of the menbers of Committee from whom tickets maj be obtained are announced in another coliimn. la the case Gough v. Ashton and Cassidy, recently heard at Ahaura, the plaintiff, who obtained a verdict, has appealed to the Supreme Court against the decision of the Resident Magistrate. The grounds of appeal ( are) insufficiency of the verdict, the plaintiff holding that he is entitled to the full amount claimed instead of apo tion ; and alleged misconstruction of the terms and nature of the protection held by the plaintiff from the Nelson Government. The necessary bonds to: i>roßecute the appeal were entered into at Ahaura, on Saturday, the 14th inst. Messrs M'Whirter and Co., contractors for sections Nos. 02 and 03 of the Marsden road, have completed their work, anditwas passed yesterday by the inspector. This contract, embracing four miles of road, on which are four_ extensive bridges and several heavy cuttings, is indeed a creditable piece of work, and has been pushed on vigorously to completion by the enterprising contractors It was found necessary to erect, at considerable cost, extensive machinery for the purpose of conveying the gravel from the neighboring terraces. Mr Mathieson, the contractor for the remaining section, will be finished, we understand, this week, when the road will be opened through to Marsden. At the .Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, the owner unknown of a stray horse was fined 10s, costs 9s, advertising 15s, and 4s for each day he remains in the pound. There was again a crowded house last night to witness Charles' Panorama of the FrancoPrussian War, at the Volunteer Hall. The Exhibition was much appreciated At intervals daring the evening Mr Harry Morgan,: a vocalist of much ability, came forward and rendered some songs with much taste and expression, and received a libe.al amount of applause. He will appear again to-day, when two entertainments are to be given, one in the afternoon specially for children, when the price will be reduced t« Is, and the last of the series in the evening. On this last occasion three very valuable leading gifts will be given away, as well as numerous others. By a typographical error yesterday we misstated the result of the week's crushing of the Wealth of Nations claim. It should hare been 2710z of amalgam, not 2170z. We learn by telegram that Mr Moriarty left Auckland for Greymouth yesterday morning. He may be expected here towards the end of the week. We Bee by the Buller News that at the recent sale of town sections at Westport, 83 sections were purchased. Amongst the list of buyers we find the names of Mr D. Sheedy, of Greymouth, and Messrs Gilmer Bros., each of three sections. It is proposed to apply to the General Government for assistance towards sinking a shaft for testing the deeper levels of the Thames, and carrying on mining to a depth of 800 ft or 1000 ft. -ixty to eighty thousand pounds is the estimate, and it is suggested that against this the Gold-fields revemie should lie pledged to meet the interest, and that the companies benefited should contribute. Miss Annie Merton, formerly a favorite actress in New Zealand, and wife of Mr W. H, Newton, died on the 29th of December last, at Ravenswood, Queensland, of fever and ague. This lady was a very talented nielo-dramatic actress, and her loss to the colonial stage will be much felt. A dreadful accident occurred at the Bright Smile mine, Thames, on the 4th inst, which resulted in the instant death of a miner named Edward Clark, a young man of about twenty -five years of age. It appears he rung the proper signal for hoisting the men to the surface, but aid not get into the cage before the latter began to move. The result was that by some means he missed his footing in jumping in, and was caught between the cage add the timbers of the shaft over the chamber. He was dragged for some distance up-the shaft in this manner before the accident was discovered, when he was immediately lowered to the chamber. He was then quite dead, and fearfully mutilated. His head was split open, and his lower jaw carried away. Atticus supplies the following to the Melbourne Leader: — "Talking of cricket reminds me of a good thing I heard the other day. 'You are smart enough as colonial barmaids go. : But you should see them in England. So sprightly and quick in serving you ; and then can't they chaff.' So spoke one of the English cricketers in one of the cafe bars the other evening, adding, 'By the way, has my friend Mr B been inquiring for me to-night?' 'Not that I'm aware, demurely responded the ministrant Hebe. ' Dear me, that's odd. I wonder where he can be?' remarked the other. 'Perhaps,' retorted the damsel, "he's staying at home to bit on the ducks' eggs. ' Exit English cricketer somewhat hurriedly, having made a round 0, together with Ms friend Mr B — ." On Tuesday (sajs the Nelson Colonist) Mr Huddlestone, the indefatigable manager of acclimatisation matters in Nelson, took frrm the Maitai, from a pool just above Ni c street bridge, a splendid brown trout nine pounds in weight. It is almost needless to say it was placed before Mr Yogel at the public dinner the same evening, and many were the gustatory ejaculations with which its disappearance was accompanied. A curious relic of the war which was carried on in Wanganui from 1845 to 1847 was discovered a few days ago. The workmen employed in excavating the foundations for the new Tutaekeka bridge, found a congreve rocket embedded in the mud at the bottom of the stream. The missile wa>> doubtless discharged at the Maori pa which then stood on what is now Mr Field's orchard, but falling into the stream had remained unexploded and unknown till now. A test of stone from the 400 ft level of the Thames Pumping Association's shaft, produced over lOoz. of gold and soz. of silver to the ton. This, says a local paper, was a Bank test, and much reliance could not be placed on the result in consequence, because it is a well-known fact that as a rule the tests made practically by batteries, and those made by assayers. show very different results. In the latter case every particle of gold is carefully extracted, and in the former not one-half of it is saved ; but it U exceedingly satisfactory to learn that a proper machine test of the value of this newly-disoovered reef has disclosed the fact that it is auriferous, and it is not certain whether, with the present appliances and facilities for raising quartz, it cannot be made payable. The yield from the crushing was nearly ten pennyweights of gold to the ton. This we consider one of the most satisfactory discoveries that has lately been made on the Thames goldfield. At the bottom of the | lowest level on the field, a large reef has been discovered, and although it has not yet been properly opened up, it is found to be auriferous. . ; A mercantile firm in Queenstown, Otago, the local paper states, is offering L 3 15s Gd an ounce for gold, being an advance on the rate paid by the banks. Many are acquainted with Mr Eastwood, the genial agent of Bachelder's Diorama, and I will be sorry to read the following from a e orrespondenfr of the Bruce Herald .'—While

the Clyde coach was approaching Lawrence, the near hind wheel gave way, the coach was capsized, and Mr Eastwood, agent for Bachelder's Panorama, who occupied a boxseat, had his lej fractured, besides sustaining several severe bruises. The driver, Hugh Craig, and several other passengers were severely shaken, but n * serious injuries were sustained. The horses bolted, and one of them, coming into contact with a dray, was so much injured as to render him useless. An instance of canine faithfulness and endurance has been told us (Wakatip Mail) by Mr R. M'Moran That gentle nan was over the Lake superintending his sheepshearing, and had occasion to come back to Queenstown. He left his collie dog behind, and on re urning to the shearing sheds next day was told the dog had not been seen since he left. Mr M'Morangave the animal (a valuable one) up for lost, but on again returning to town was astonished and pleased to find the dog greet him on, his arrival. The nearest point of land in the direction of Queenstown from where the sheds are situate is about six miles or more, so that the collie roust have had a long and hard swim for it, as the Lake was pretty rough. Prom a private letter received by a gentleman in Coromanriel from a friend on the Palmer river, we ( Cor omandel Mail) learn that the proßpects of that place are rapidly improving, »nd are likely to attract a very large mining population by the time the present rainy season there has passed away. The break generally occurs towards the middle of April, and an almost unlimited extent of good alluvial country will be open to the gold digger by that time There are various estimates of the yield of the ground, but all agree as to its payable auriferous character. There are about 800 men on the ground, and provisions and water are always the principal drawback. ' Wages men are getting 20s a day and found; beef is sold at 3s 6d per pound, and flour 2s per pound. Gold isgot in about Bft of sinking, and the greater the distance up the river the richer it is said to be. Englishmen suffer much from heat and the ague, the latter brought on by the want of accommodation and the heavy dews. The natives are said to be troublesome at times, and the Government only allow parties of ten or a dozen to go away from the camp in consequence of the danger rrom this cause The natives are a fine stalwart class, and dead Bhotsatßo or 100 yards with their spears and arrows. There is likely to be a keen contest for the vacant seat for the Franklyn district in the House of Representatives, rendered vacant by the resignation of Mr Archibald Clark. Three candidates are already mentioned. While inspecting one of the Nelson Rifle Companies, Major Gordon made the following remarks with regard to officers who absent themselves from their duty :- " I am given to understand that your captain has been absent for s me months, and is likely to be so for some time longer. .This is mosc irregular, and, whatever may be the personal feelings entertained towards him by those i whom 'he is supposed to command, they : should call upon him to place his resignation iia the hands of the company. It may be | inconvenient to him to attend the parades, [but he ha<»' no right to continue to hold his jcommissioa afterle has ceased to be able to 'attend to the duties it entails T shall on my return to Wellington recommend the Goyerninent to insist upon his tendering his resignation, and thus making room for the appointment of a captain, such as a company as yours deserves to have." The SoutJwm Cross says that there is some probability Of the reputsd auriferous tract of country around Tuhua being prospected shortly, as the native owners of it have scut to Wanganui fer Capt. William M'Donnell to go up and make a thorough examination of the country. Captain M'Donnell, with a few practical diggers, will probably go up to Tuhua within a month. Mining for manganese has not paid at Coromandel. A coi respondent of an Auckland paper states that the men at work on the manganese mine, at the Island of Waiheke, near this pl»ce, are about to be paid off in consequence of instructions received from the mineral agents at home who have the disposal of the produce of the mine. The separation from baser metals, and the heavy charges necessary on shipping freight, and re-transmission, leave no margin for a profitable working of the undertaking, and, after an expenditure of LI4OO, the works are to be abandoned. The manganese only realised between L 6 and L 8 a ton in the home market. The agents have fairly tested the matter, and cannot be said to have given up tb.e venture without every effort to make it remunerative. : . There is nothing new in the mining world at the Thames. Claims continue to yield steadily, but there is nothing striking. At Coromandel, the Wai Koromiko district has been taken up by numerous parties, and is thought likely to prove valuable when properly opened. Many of the claims there are .already on gold. The Margaretta, which has been so long searching for the Tokatea;reef, has also a fine leader showiug gold in hand. The Van is ready for crushing, and Benuett's battery has been tried and found to work splendidly. The motive power is a turbine, and the stampers weigh 10c wt each. The battery is altogether the best and most complete of all the excellent batteries in the Province, and will be able to do cheaply the crushing of the whole district above its level. The new claims on the Wai Koromiko are, unfortunately, too low to make use of it ; but the Government are making a road to them, and if they show gold a battery will not be long in following.